National Blog

Beware of National Reciprocity

The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011 (H.R. 822) could enable the federal government to seize control of all concealed firearm carry permits. This could potentially lead to federal authorities depriving individuals of their right to bear arms.

The bill, which passed the House of Representatives in November, would require states that allow people to carry concealed firearms to accept concealed carry permits from other states. The Republican-led House celebrated this as a move to protect gunowners’ rights, but it could actually lead us down the slippery slope to banning guns.

The measure has moved to the Democrat-controlled Senate, which could easily add anti-gun amendments before sending it back to the House for reconciliation. These amendments could include steps toward ultimately allowing the federal government to intervene and regulate the permit process.

Most states already have reciprocity agreements for concealed carry permits with other states. So why does the federal government need to intervene if not to eventually take control of the permit process on a national level?

If federal bureaucrats are empowered to control the permit process, it would be very easy for an anti-gun administration (like the Obama administration perhaps?) to place impossible requirements or fees on permits to ensure that individuals are barred from carrying or bearing arms.

On the surface, this bill could be a positive move to affirm our Second Amendment rights. However, any measure giving the federal government authority over something that could be regulated just as well by the states is a move toward centralizing power in Washington, which inherently poses a threat to our individual freedom.